Getting your inflatable boat and outboard ready for summer

The time has come to begin getting ready for summer boating. Your inflatable boat has not had any love in awhile so what can be done to prepare for the summer. First thing is to check your boat for water and air leaks. This can be easily done with some soapy water in a spray bottle. Spray the boat valves and tubes with soapy water and watch for signs of bubbles to spot any potential air leaks. Circle them with a marker for patching. The next item is to check for water leaks. With the inflatable boat tubes full of air put some water inside the boat and watch for water exiting the boat. This will show you  the water leaks that when your boat is in the water will allow water to enter your boat. Mark these for patching as well.

Lets talk briefly about the outboard motor for your dinghy. It needs some attention now as well. We hope that you remembered to run the motor out of fuel before putting it away last season. If not you will need to have the carb cleaned by a mechanic, our shop can do that work for you if you are local in Southern California,the purpose is to remove any  old fuel or blockage in the carb jets. If you did drain your carb then good for you. An oil change would still be in order and if it's been more than 2 years since the last impellor changed, then it would be a good idea to change it as well. The gear oil too. Check your prop for any damage and replace if it has too many chips or bends.These items can be  done by our shop during a regular service. Once these items are done you are ready to use your dinghy and motor. I will cover in my next blog how to make the repairs to the boat yourself or how you can have those repairs done at our shop.